CA Board warns Nestle it lacks rights to California spring water

A significant amount of Nestlé’s water diversions in the San Bernardino National Forest are unauthorized, state water rights investigators say.

The Swiss-based company has been diverting an average of 192 acre feet of water per year from the forest, which is more than the 26 acre feet it is allowed under its current water rights, according to a report released Thursday, Dec. 21, by the State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Water Rights.

“As the people of California grieve the loss of life, livelihood, and land that has been devastated by this year’s tragic wildfires, we have a moral imperative to safeguard water,” said Michael O’Heaney, executive director of the Story of Stuff Project, one of several environmental groups opposed to Nestlé’s operations, in a news release. “This ruling shows that our precious resources must be managed with consideration for the needs of the environment and future generations.”

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